Provea demands updated casualty figures after Venezuelan earthquakes

The Venezuelan human rights organization Provea has demanded that the Venezuelan state continuously update and publish official figures regarding the dead and missing following the double earthquake on June 24.

According to Provea, authorities have not updated the death toll in over 36 days, with the last official figure standing at 6,509 victims reported on August 24. Regarding missing persons, the organization noted that it has been more than 96 days since the last update, which recorded 157 people missing as of June 25.

While official records remain stagnant, Provea highlighted that citizen initiatives have reported thousands of missing individuals, though no public registry exists to verify these numbers. Some reports suggest citizen counts exceed 29,000 people without contact. Additionally, the Governor of La Guaira, José Alejandro Terán, provided a partial update on August 4, stating there was information regarding 1,579 missing persons. Provea emphasized that providing this information is a state obligation to victims, their families, and the country.